Betrayal
by chibijem
Summary: A dear friend from Tomomasa's past is not what he seems and drives the Byakko pair apart...


Betrayal

By

Chibijem

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters herein, with the exception of Akihiro and Chieko, and am making no financial gain from this work of fiction.

* * *

Teal eyes sprang open at the whisper of sound from somewhere in the garden. Tachibana no Tomomasa turned his head on the bolster and gazed at his still slumbering lover; the general gently disentangled himself from Fujiwara no Takamichi's embrace and sat up in their futon. He smiled to himself when the golden eyes remained closed even though he muttered about the disturbance to his sleep. Not wanting Takamichi to alert whomever caused him to awaken-and Tomomasa knew it to be human-he swiftly covered the vice minister's mouth with his hand as he leaned down to whisper into his partner's ear.

"Tomomasa?!" The young court official questioned softly when the hand was removed.

"There is someone out in the gardens." The eldest Hachiyo spoke softly into a well shaped ear.

Takamichi, never one to doubt Tomomasa, nodded and followed his friend to the closed door leading out into the yard. He knelt behind his partner and watched as the teal haired man carefully slid the door open just the tiniest bit to peer out into the dark expanse. The teen gasped when something flew by his companion's head, barely missing it.

Tomomasa stood and threw the door open, "He's gone," he said with a finality in his voice. By then Takamichi had lit a lamp and was examining the small, intricate weapon embedded into the bolster where short minutes before, Tomomasa's head had lain. "Interesting," the general commented, kneeling next to his now wide awake partner, the lamp light glinting off his bare, muscular body.

"I have never seen such a weapon." Takamichi reached out to take hold of it.

"Yameru!" Tomomasa quickly grabbed his young friend by his wrist. "They are sometimes coated with a toxin."

"How do you know this?"

Tomomasa sighed, "A year into my army training I was introduced to a master of weaponry. He taught several of us all he knew. I found it somewhat distasteful. Several years later the school was disbanded and he died shortly thereafter."

"You were instructed?"

"I had no choice: the order came from Eisen's father directly." Tomomasa took a thick cloth and carefully wrapped the weapon. "In the morning I will have to find out how many students remain alive."

"This person could have killed you." Takamichi met teal eyes with his own, concern ridden, gold ones.

"If that had been his purpose this night, I would be dead."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Early the following afternoon, Takamichi entered Tomomasa's office to find his partner buried under paperwork. The teal head rose and golden eyes met jeweled ones and the two men shared a look. "Any success?" The vice minister asked coming to sit in front of the general's desk.

"Some, several of the students were killed in differing battles over the years, a couple retired from military service or left for other reasons. And then there are a few for which there is no other information on." Tomomasa held up a sheaf of papers with a sigh. "Have you had any luck?" Tomomasa asked knowing Takamichi was investigating on his own.

"About the same as you. I did manage to obtain a list of all the students that attended the school." Takamichi handed the paper over to the teal haired army officer. "There are several names on the list that I, too, have been unable to find information on, even in the archives, beyond a birth record. I have some of my aides still looking."

"Tachibana no Tomomasa," a voice suddenly called out.

The eldest Hachiyo stood and smiled, a smile like none Takamichi had ever seen. "Akihiro!" Tomomasa quickly met the other man halfway in the middle of his office. "I had heard you had perished in a storm." Tomomasa embraced the man.

"So unlike you, to believe something you had only heard." The ebony haired man teased with a smile. The two clasped arms. Tomomasa's friend pulled away and studied his old friend. "Look at you: a general now. I never would have thought it, especially with your antics." He laughed.

Tomomasa's laugh filled the room, which made the vice minister smile: he loved to hear the sound of Tomomasa's laughter. "Tomomasa-dono?" He queried.

"Ah, sumanai, Takamichi," the army officer went over to where his Hachiyo partner stood, drawing Akihiro behind him. "Akihiro, this is Fujiwara no Takamichi, Vice Minister for Civil Affairs." Tomomasa grinned into golden eyes, "Takamichi, this unsavory individual is Akihiro, we were inducted into the army together, but we have known one another since our earliest memories."

Takamichi bowed, "It is an honor to meet you." He stood tall again and looked into dark eyes; he suddenly had an ominous feeling come over him.

"Don't let this man fool you, Takamichi-san. I am not the only unsavory man here." Akihiro laughed when Tomomasa tried to silence him. "Ah, the stories I could tell about the great Tomomasa."

"I could tell the same amount about you." Tomomasa returned with a grin. The three men settled and Tomomasa ordered refreshments. "What brings you here to darken my days?"

"Just passing through," Akihiro took a sip of tea. "I am on my way home; I completed a job and before taking on another, I thought to visit my family."

"What is it you do?" Takamichi asked, hoping for any information on this man from Tomomasa's past.

"I am a builder. I go where the work is."

"Why not stay in Kyou? There is always building going on here." Now Takamichi's curiosity was peeked.

"I am not one for staying in one place for too long…"

"Not to mention you never liked the rigid structure of following orders." Tomomasa ribbed, looking over the top of his own teacup.

"That is so very true," the builder replied with a sigh. "That made my life in the army interesting to say the least."

Tomomasa's laughter boomed out, "Interesting? That is one way of describing it." He turned to his younger partner. "He was always questioning orders and our superiors. _What's the purpose of such and such? Why do we need to go there? What are the reasons for this course of action?_ On and on and on."

"Did you leave the army on your own?" The green haired Hachiyo stared at the older man.

"Partly," Akihiro set the cup down. "I was wounded in the last battle I took part in and almost died; after the time I spent recovering, I did not want my life to end needlessly on some nameless field for a cause I did not truly believe in."

"So you build?" Takamichi's voice was soft.

"I build to replace what was taken from others for one reason or another."

"It suits you," Tomomasa added.

"It is a good life."

"How long will you be in Kyou?" The general began. "We should have a meal and catch up."

"Not long, my family is expecting me, but I could not let the opportunity to see you pass." He replied, looking at Tomomasa. "A few days at the most. I need to meet with a man about a job he wants me to undertake."

"You have plans for the evening meal?" Tomomasa stood when his old friend did. When Akihiro shook his head, Tomomasa invited him to eat with both he and Takamichi at the Tachibana estate. "You remember the way?"

"How could I not, after dragging your drunken ass home so many nights." Akihiro's snicker followed him down the corridor.

Takamichi sat observing Tomomasa and Akihiro as they told story after story about their days together in the army. It was an interesting experience to see his companion relive memories and act so young. The merriment went on till late until Akihiro made his way out the gates after declining an invitation to stay the night.

The vice minister joined Tomomasa on the porch overlooking the koi pond. He watched as his friend leaned back on his elbows. "You led a very interesting early life." He commented; Takamichi knew quite a bit about Tomomasa's past and had heard numerous accounts of his life in the military but this evening had been full of revelations. "You have never spoken of Akihiro before."

Tomomasa leaned his head back, his long hair brushing the floorboards. Sighing, he turned his head to meet the young court official's stare. "I am the reason he left the army." The look of utter confusion on his partner's face made Tomomasa chuckle softly. "He said he had been injured in battle; he was protecting me and was wounded. He was already dissatisfied with army life and his recovery gave him the excuse to leave the service. His heart was no longer in it by then."

"It was not your fault," Takamichi laid a loving hand on Tomomasa's shoulder as he knelt next to him, deciding to replace his hand with his green haired head.

"Hmmmm….." Tomomasa laid his own head on top of Takamichi's. "My head says I am not, my heart is another matter."

"Your heart is pure and true." Takamichi leaned up to press his lips to Tomomasa's strong chin and met lips instead when Tomomasa turned his head.

xxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two days later, Takamichi was still carrying the menacing feeling with him; he and Tomomasa had met with Akihiro for breakfast and soon after he had left the two for his own meetings. Now he was scouring the archives for information on Tomomasa's army comrade; he had found the man's birth record and some reports from his military career, even the account of the battle which had ended said career. However, there was no transcript concerning the man after he had left military service. The vice minister found that curious since most builders had permits and other documentation on file. This fact alone, caused Takamichi to begin to doubt the man's story about his current occupation and that caused other questions to come to the vice minister's mind. _If he is not a builder, then what is he? And why is he hiding his true vocation?_ The younger Byakko possessor's mind was whirling: _The only reason to lie about his occupation was if what he was doing was illegal,_ Takamichi thought.

That evening Tomomasa and Takamichi were in the vice minister's study, going through their respective days reading. Takamichi surreptitiously studied Tomomasa over the rims of his glasses, not knowing how to breach the subject of Akihiro's lack of documents. He was about to voice his concern when a flaming object flew through the air to land on their shared desk. The reaction from the Byakko pair was instantaneous as they sprang to their feet and quickly extinguished the fire before it did any more damage.

"Gomen, Takamichi," Tomomasa knelt to gather their papers which they had swiftly brushed off the desk. "I think our desk is a loss."

"As long as you are not hurt; furniture can be replaced." Takamichi looked down at the charred mess and then at the bent teal head. "Tomomasa?" The vice minister was unsure how to ask his older companion about his friend and share his thoughts.

Jeweled eyes looked up and saw uncertainty, "You look as if you are about to lose your best friend."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Takamichi said under his breath. "How well do you know Akihiro?"

The oldest Hachiyo stopped organizing the papers he held and looked back to his partner, "What kind of question is that, Takamichi?! He is my oldest friend, we are like brothers." Tomomasa's voice held irritation.

Takamichi took a breath and went on, "I was doing a bit of investigating…." He was interrupted by Tomomasa's look but he went on. "I was looking into your friend's past and could not find any mention of him as a builder and there are no records of him ever obtaining a permit."

"Akihiro is not hiding anything, if that is what you are implicating." The general's voice held authority.

'Tomomasa, people change. Can you be sure that this Akihiro of today is the one you knew from the past?"

"I am not sure I like where you are heading with your questions, Takamichi."

"I do not like the implications, either," the vice minister admitted. "You have to acknowledge that the timing of your friend's arrival is curious with the strange events occurring: the attempt the other night and now this fire."

Tomomasa's eyes shone with an angry light, "Now I know I do not like where you are heading with your thoughts. Akihiro would not hurt me."

"Tomomasa you are thinking with your heart."

"Takamichi…" The name sounded out with a growl.

"Listen to me, onegaishimasu; I cannot validate anything this man has told us beyond his career in the military." The younger Byakko holder said.

"I have known him longer than you have been living. He would not lie to me nor would he hide anything." Tomomasa argued.

"I know you don't want to contemplate what I am implying but if it were anyone else you would be agreeing with me." Golden eyes begged for his partner's understanding. "You have never _not_ listened to what I have had to say."

"This is one instance where I cannot. Akihiro saved my life and I owe him my trust and my very life, can't you understand that?!" Tomomasa countered.

"I can because you are an honorable man; but you are also a smart and shrewd one." Takamichi went to stand before his companion. "This is the first time I have witnessed you being stupid." The next thing the vice minister knew, he was on the floor, the General of the Left Imperial Guard standing over him.

"I will not take that from anyone, not even you," Tomomasa ground out, annoyance in his voice. He was shaking his fist out from the punch he had delivered to his partner's face. "I told you my reasons for trusting Akihiro and I will not discuss this with you any further." With those parting words, he strode out of the room leaving Takamichi rubbing his cheek, a miserable look on his boyish face.

"Tomomasa-dono?" Yorihisa repeated, trying to get the eldest Hachiyo's attention.

"Ah, sumanai, Yorihisa," the Chi no Byakko answered.

"Daijobou desu ka? You have not been yourself these past few days." The tall samurai asked. He along with Tenma and several others had noticed the distinct change in their eldest member.

"Heki desu. Just a lot on my mind." He replied, smiling at the gathering. It was minus one: Takamichi.

"Is your visit with your friend going well?" Shimon asked, wanting to dispel the heavy mood now settling over them.

Tomomasa smiled at the young man, "Hai, arigatou. It is going well."

"Does this man have anything to do with Takamichi's absence?" Yasuaki inquired.

"What is between Takamichi and myself is personal and will remain that way." Tomomasa answered.

"You did not answer my question." Yasuaki countered with a glare from his bi-colored eyes.

"That is all the answer I am prepared to give," Tomomasa replied as he stood and left the room. The other Hachiyo looked on, a mixture of shock and concern on their faces.

Later that afternoon, the General of the Left Imperial Guard was in his office reading scouting reports when he abruptly sat back with a sigh and cupped his brow in one strong hand. _How did it come to this?,_ he thought, going over Takamichi's words and the actions of his Hachiyo brothers earlier in the day. _Takamichi was right: if it was anyone else, I would be questioning their story._ Tomomasa laid his head back and stared at his ceiling. _And the others; I am worrying them too._ He raised the sheath of papers and reread the last paragraph; it detailed the hasty investigation he had ordered into Akihiro's claims. It also listed assassinations that coincided with a list of dates and locations Tomomasa had assembled from the talks he and his friend had had the past several days. This new information was what the eldest Hachiyo had dreaded: the feeling he had not been able to shake since Takamichi had voiced his theory: that Akihiro was indeed hiding something and to Tomomasa that was tantamount to lying.

"Tomomasa-sama? There is a message for you." His aide came into the room and handed over the missive.

Teal eyes quickly scanned it, "I have to report to Okami. Can you file those papers away?" He indicated a pile sitting precariously on a close table. When his aide smiled and nodded, Tomomasa laid an appreciative hand on the man's shoulder as he exited his office.

As Tomomasa was returning from his audience, he made a detour through the small markets. He was about to return to his office when one of the small children, a little girl, whom he and Takamichi had befriended, ran up to him. "Tomo-sama! Help!" She was gasping for breath as she clung to his kimono.

"Chi-chan?" Tomomasa went down onto one knee and clasped the child's small shoulders. "What has happened?"

"It's Taka-chan…..Some men had a lady surrounded and were picking on her and Taka….." She sniffed and looked into jeweled eyes. "You have to help him." She implored with her big, tearful eyes.

"I am sure he is fine, Chi-chan. Takamichi is a very capable man."

"Demo…" And instead of arguing, the tiny child took Tomomasa's kimono in an incredibly strong grip and pulled the army officer in her wake.

"Chieko-chan…." Tomomasa stuttered, trying to keep up without tripping as he was practically dragged along. When they came to the group of men and the vice minister, Tomomasa could see that his Hachiyo partner was indeed handling himself well. Several of the men were on the ground with varying degrees of injury. It wasn't long before he heard the authorities approaching and turned his attention back to his captor. "See, Takamichi has taken care of the men and he looks to be unhurt." He assured her.

Big, dark eyes stared up at him and Tomomasa resisted the urge to squirm under the child's gaze. "What is wrong with you? You usually jump in to help Taka-chan."

Tomomasa ushered the girl away from the gathered crowd and went down on one knee to look at her. "It is something between the two of us, Chi-chan. It is complicated."

"Complicated?"

"Hai, a matter that is hard to understand."

"Nothing can be that hard between friends." She told him with the authority and innocence of a child.

"I wish it were so," Tomomasa replied softly. He looked up when a shadow fell over them and found the child's mother. "Gomen ne, she came to find me…."

"It is I who should apologize, Tachibana-sama." The woman bowed to him. "She always seems to find you if you are here."

"I am always delighted by her company." Tomomasa smiled. He watched the mother and daughter stroll away and gave a start when a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned his head and found Akihiro, "Konnichiwa, Aki-san."

"What brings you here at this time of day, Tomomasa-san?"

"I had to report to Okami."

"Aren't your offices in the Palace?"

"They are but I needed a bit of a break." The chokushi admitted.

"Then my timing is perfect. I found this bottle in the markets," he held up some sake. "Care to join me?"

"Hai," Tomomasa smiled. "I just need to stop at my office and leave some instructions for my staff."

As they were leaving, teal eyes met sun kissed ones. Both held a deep sadness.

Takamichi was in his archive office late into the night when one of Tomomasa's aides rushed in. "Takamichi-sama!"

"What is it?" the vice minister sat up straight at the man's anxiety.

"I was putting away some papers when a report arrived. As Tomomasa-sama instructed me, I read it." The man put a hand to his chest, still trying to catch his breath. "It was the complete findings of the deep investigation he had done on his friend."

"Investigation?"

"Hai, the day after the first attempt on his life, he began investigations on all the surviving students of the weapon school. Akihiro was on the list." Tomomasa's senior aide accepted a cup of tea and sat before the vice minister. "This man has been sought for many years, only under an alias. He is thought to be Kuroshi, the assassin Black Death."

"Where is Tomomasa-dono now?"

"He returned from his audience with the Emperor with this man and soon after left again. I think he went home."

Hearing that, Takamichi told the older man to go for the authorities and have them follow him to the Tachibana estate and ran from his office. _Shimatta, I should have known Tomomasa would have been wary of an old acquaintance he had not seen in many years. I should never have doubted him,_ the vice minister thought as he ran through Kyou towards his partner's home, all the while praying he would be in time.

Teal eyes stared across the table at his childhood friend. "How are your meetings going?' He asked.

"Very well. After my family visit I will be heading further south for a post."

"Omedetto gozaimasu," Tomomasa raised his sake cup. "I will be sorry to see you go."

"We must all leave at some point." With this cryptic remark, Akihiro got to his feet to walk around the room.

"Hai," Tomomasa's warrior instincts rose as he followed his friend with his steady gaze. "You will stay in contact?" He queried, trying to keep his friend at ease.

"As much as I can." Akihiro stopped behind Tomomasa. "I am disappointed."

"How so?" The Chi no Byakko felt very uneasy though his voice did not reveal it.

"You are not drinking very much."

"I am savoring it."

"If too much time passes, it will go bad." With that said, Akihiro moved swiftly and pulled a tanto which he held to Tomomasa's throat. "I am surprised yet again. The great Tachibana no Tomomasa Shoushou-sama never had an inkling as to the danger he was in." The laugh was maniacal.

"You are far too presumptuous, Akihiro." The retort was accompanied by Tomomasa tossing his sake into his opponent's face. This gave him enough time to scramble away and pull his own sword. "It was you that night. Small weapons were always your specialty not to mention the rapt attention you paid Sensei when he talked about poisons and other toxins."

"Ah, you remembered. I am honored you did." Akihiro said with a bow. "But sadly, that knowledge will die with you."

Tomomasa's eyes went hard as his heart was saddened by the duty he was bound to perform. "You are Kuroshi. Under the authority of Okami, I place you under arrest; will you consider surrendering?"

"You know I cannot do that, Tomomasa."

"I had to ask."

"For old time's sake? I should have known that; you have always been the sentimental sort. Even through our army days together, I knew you would fight only when there was no other choice. You always had a soft heart." He sneered. "But it cost me! Who was almost killed protecting you when you did the same with another of our comrades?! Me!"

"That man was wounded…."

"And I was because of you!" Akihiro slowly approached as Tomomasa backed away. "Even when we were young, you had to defend those who could not. How many times did I have to save you back then?!"

"Those who can protect, protect those who cannot." Tomomasa replied with the mantra that had been taught to him from before the time he could pick up a weapon.

"This time there is no one to save you!" Kuroshi charged and the two men took their battle into the Tachibana gardens.

Tomomasa parried each blow as the sword fight continued. "Just tell me why?" He asked his former friend.

"Why?" Akihiro attacked again and was angered when it was defended. "There are so many reasons: you have many enemies. Those who want your position or just hate you. Then there's money. I was paid quite a handsome sum for my services."

"When did you start caring about money?" Tomomasa spat out as he attacked.

"The day I realized I could use the skills the military taught me for riches I could not even imagine. My skill as a builder was a good disguise. I could go from village to village with no one the wiser that Kuroshi was in their midst." He smiled when he landed a blow to Tomomasa's arm. "The toxin I slipped into the sake affecting you yet?"

Tomomasa laid a hand over the cut in his arm; raising his head he smiled. "I poured out the sake you brought and substituted a bottle of my own. Sumanai, my friend, demo you will not have an upper hand in our match." Tomomasa charged again and the struggle between the two, now former, friends went on.

Takamichi could hear the sounds of the sword fight the moment he entered Tomomasa's property, the judicial and Imperial authorities on his heels. He hastened his footsteps and soon came upon the sparring duo in intense combat. He noticed each man was sporting injuries but none seemed to be too serious. Both men were breathing heavily and Takamichi knew down to his soul Tomomasa was prolonging the scuffle so as not to have to kill his old comrade. He called out when Tomomasa's foot slipped in some loose gravel surrounding the garden. He gasped when Akihiro drew back his blade and rushed.

Tomomasa heard his Hachiyo partner call out and with quick reflexes held his own weapon out. He grimaced when his would-be-assassin's blade entered his shoulder; his eyes went wide as he saw his own sword had gone through Akihiro's chest. He caught his friend as the other man collapsed into his arms. "Aki-san?" He called out softly.

"Tomo-kun? Gomen ne…..for everything." He asked for forgiveness, blood already dripping out of his mouth.

Teal eyes watered as Tomomasa knew death was fast approaching his oldest companion. "Iie, there is nothing to forgive. You saved me so many times….and I….I…."

Akihiro raised a weak, bloody hand and cupped Tomomasa's cheek. "If I was given the chance to save you again, I would with no hesitation."

"Aki-san….." Tomomasa buried his face into his companion's neck as he pulled Akihiro close.

"Live a long life, Tomomasa. Be happy. I want that for you….Find someone….." He looked over when Takamichi approached. "Keep him safe, onegaishimasu." He asked of the Ten no Byakko, his breathing growing faint.

"Yakusoku." Takamichi replied softly with a nod.

The dying man turned back to Tomomasa, who had lifted his head. "I will be waiting on the other side for you. I hope….it will…be….a long…wait…." With those words, Akihiro, Tomomasa's childhood partner, breathed his last.

Takamichi stood quietly next to his companion; he gave Tomomasa several minutes, keeping the authorities at bay to give the eldest Hachiyo some time. "Tomomasa? You need to let them take him." He finally said, resting on his heels so he could look into the devastated face of his lover. "Tomomasa?" He repeated when he received no reaction. The army officer looked up, his eyes seeing nothing and just nodded. Takamichi motioned for the waiting men to remove the body. His saddened, golden eyes gazed at the grieving general. "You had no choice. You acted on instinct," he tried to assuage the guilt he knew Tomomasa was feeling. He was taken aback when Tomomasa stood up and silently went into his home, shutting the doorway behind him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Several days later, Takamichi was being pulled by one little girl towards the Tachibana estate. "Chieko-chan? You do not have to pull me so tightly nor so fast." The green haired court official implored.

"You are the only one who can fix him." Was all the child said.

"Fix whom?"

"Tomo-sama."

Takamichi stopped which forced the small girl to stop. "I do not think I can help this time."

"How do you know? You haven't even tried." With that, she resumed drawing Takamichi along.

Short minutes later, Chieko left Takamichi standing under a tree as she approached the general who was sitting on a bench under yet another tree in his gardens. He watched as the child crawled carefully, mindful of the general's wounded shoulder, into Tomomasa's lap and began speaking. He could not hear what was being said so he carefully and slowly made his way towards them. He heard their little shadow talking but Tomomasa was not replying.

"Ne, Tomo-sama? You have not visited the markets these past days." She said, taking a handful of the elder Byakko's hair and playing with it. "You are too quiet."

The vice minister saw his significant other's shoulder's raise up and settle again as he heard Tomomasa take a deep breath, "Gomen nasai, Chi-chan. I have….." He began only to be interrupted.

"You are sad, ne? What about?"

"A friend has passed on." Takamichi lowered his eyes. _That is not the whole truth, is it, Tomomasa? The sadness you carry is his death at your own hands._

"You should remember the good times. You have happy memories." Little Chieko turned so she could sit up on her knees and take Tomomasa's striking face into her tiny hands and meet his depressed gaze with her own. "Okasan says we should remember the good and then the bad will fade away."

Takamichi smiled at the child's reasoning and hoped she could get through to Tomomasa. He had tried as had the other Hachiyo, the Ryuujin no Miko and even Fuji-hime to bring Tomomasa out of his current state.

"You are lucky to have such a wise mother." He heard his lover say.

"You have people who care about you too, Tomo-sama." The little girl sat back and rested against the general's broad chest. Takamichi could picture her counting off the people she knew were a part of Tomomasa's life. "Aaaand finally, there's Taka-chan." He saw his friend jerk slightly at the mention of his endearing nickname from Chieko. "Tomo-sama?"

"Ah, Chieko. I do not know…I have hurt many people. I have turned them away in favor of the past." There was a wistfulness to the eldest Hachiyo's voice. "I am not sure how or even if I can repair the damage."

"How do you know?" Takamichi could see the girl's head turn so she could look up at their companion. "Have you tried?"

Takamichi saw the length of heavy, teal hair shift when Tomomasa shook his head. He moved silently to the pair. "He could try now." His young voice was full of hope.

"Takamichi," Tomomasa looked over one shoulder, eyes wide.

"I brought him. I thought he could fix you." Chi-chan said confidently. By then Yorihisa and Akane had arrived and ushered the girl away from the Byakko twosome. Takamichi and Tomomasa watched as the tall samurai picked up the child and lightly smiled as the Ryuujin no Miko looked on happily.

"I…..I….." Tomomasa stuttered, looking at the ground beneath his feet.

"None of us blame you." Takamichi began as he sat next to his partner. "We all understand. I think all of us would have done the same had we encountered a childhood friend." Takamichi looked out of the corner of his eye at Tomomasa. "Your aide came to me that night and told me you had begun an investigation the morning after the first attempt on your life. If anyone should apologize, it should be me."

"Iie, you were speaking your mind as you always do with me. I do not want that to ever change." Tomomasa replied without raising his head, his face hidden by the fall of his hair.

"I was informed you took care of the funeral and had his body sent to his family. Did you tell them…?"

Tomomasa shook his head, "All I told them was that he had been killed in an altercation saving my worthless hide yet again." His words full of self mockery. "It would serve no purpose for them to learn his true vocation."

"You stay true even in the face of betrayal. Even though his greed for money stole away the man you knew Akihiro to be, you still thought of him as your childhood friend and you still protect the innocent-his family." Takamichi told him as teal eyes glanced over. "I would not want you any other way." Takamichi leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lover's forehead.

"In the end, Akihiro did save my life. His betrayal of me turned into a betrayal of whomever hired him. I just wish it had ended another way." Tomomasa rested his head on the vice minister's shoulder.

"I know," green hair mixed with teal as the younger of the two laid his head on the elder's. "But you ended his suffering." He smiled gently and wiped away the tears tracking over strong cheekbones. "The life he was living was full of pain and sorrow so much so that it consumed him. You eased it by ending it."

"You're not making any sense, Takamichi."

"I saw his last attack; he knew you had time to deflect him and take the advantage. He knew it and charged you anyways. He wanted to die."

Tomomasa closed his eyes, knowing Takamichi was telling him the truth, he was after all, a soldier. "Arigatou."

"Now you must honor his last wishes," Takamichi placed a slim finger under Tomomasa's chin and raised that beloved face to his warm gaze. "Live a long, happy life."

"I have already found the 'someone' to share it with." Tomomasa smiled for the first time in many days. It eased Takamichi greatly, seeing his partner's face light up slightly.

"Yatta!" Chieko said from her perch on Yorihisa's shoulders as she, the Ten no Seiryuu and Akane all watched from behind a tree as the Byakko pair shared a kiss.

END

* * *

Fin 12-30-07

Ed 4-19-08


End file.
